Firth Light

7.5″ × 12″, oil on linen (2010) Firth River, Ivvavik National Park, Yukon, Canada

From the INTO THE ARCTIC Project

The Twin Otter touched down on the dirt strip along the Firth River, where I was greeted by a weathered hand-painted sign that read “Welcome to Sheep Creek International Airport.” I had arrived at Ivvavik National Park.

After pitching camp, I returned to the strip that evening, and then beyond, to get a better view of the Firth. The late-evening Yukon sun illuminated this truly wild river – which flows uninterrupted to the ocean – and took my breath away.